Esther 5

Esther’s appeals to the king

Now on the third day it came about that Esther put on her royal robes, and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, opposite the king’s hall, and the king was sitting on his royal throne in the royal hall, opposite the door of the hall. 2 And it happened that when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favour in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near and touched the tip of the sceptre.

3 Then the king said to her, “What do you want, Queen Esther? And what is your request? It will be granted to you, even up to half of the kingdom”.

4 And Esther answered, “If it seems good to the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him”.

5 Then the king said, “Have Haman hurry, that he may do as Esther has said”. So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

6 And the king said to Esther at the banquet of wine, “What is your petition? It will be granted you. And what is your request? Even up to half of the kingdom, it will be done.

The second request

7 Then Esther answered and said, “My petition and my request is this: 8 If I have found favour in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition, and to act on my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king has said”.

5:4-8 We are not told why Esther delayed to reveal her real burden to the king. Perhaps her courage momentarily failed. Perhaps she was testing the genuineness of his favor before making her request.⚜

Haman’s joy, anger, boasts, and plans to kill Mordecai

9 Then Haman went out that day happy and with a glad heart, but at the king’s gate when Haman saw that Mordecai did not stand up, or move for him, he was filled with indignation against Mordecai. 10 Nevertheless Haman restrained himself. And when he came home, he sent and called for his friends and Zeresh his wife.

11 And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and of his many children, and all the things in which the king had promoted him, and how he had placed him above the princes and servants of the king. 12 Moreover, Haman said, “Yes, Esther the queen did not let anyone but myself come in with the king to the banquet that she had prepared. And tomorrow also I am invited to her with the king. 13 Yet all does not satisfy me, as long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate”.

5:13 Hatred can outweigh any other emotion in man’s fallen sinful heart and completely overcome his reason.⚜

14 Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “Have a gallows made, fifty cubits high, and tomorrow ask the king that Mordecai may be hanged on it. Then go happily with the king to the banquet”. And the thing pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made.